Dyn, an internet performance management company, was hit with a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack on Friday afternoon. This cyberattack led to repeated disruption in the availability of popular websites such as Netflix, Amazon, Twitter, Spotify and many others.
The attacks hit twice and many speculated that the attacks were just practice, and the real hit will come closer to the election. While DDoS attacks have been used for years, Friday’s events take DDoS to a new level. The popularity of new internet- connected gadgets has vastly increased the pool of potential devices that can be hacked. These devices range from connected thermostats to security cameras and smart TVs. Many of these devices feature little security- making them easy targets for hackers and creating big problems for the user.
The power of this kind of cyberattack is entirely different because hackers can gain access to systems that can physically disrupt and interfere with people directly.
The hackers under the name of New World Hackers claim responsibility for Friday’s massive cyber attack. They say the attackers were merely a test, and claimed that the next target will be the Russian government for committing alleged cyberattacks against the US earlier this year.
The Department of Homeland Security is looking into the attacks and the “New World Hackers” but very little information can be found. These attacks just come to show that people need to start taking cyber safety a bit more seriously. Read More on The Street.
